Yarn severing mechanism



y 0, 1969 J. w. oua'ols 3,444,678

YARN SEVERING MECHANISM Filed March 25, 1968 Sheet of s IN VENTOR JOSEPH W. Duaolsj ATTORNEY y 1969 J. w. DUBOIS 3,444,678

YARN SEVERING MECHANISM I Filed March 25, 1968 Sheet 2 or 3' JOSEPH W.DLJBOIS ATTORNE Y y 0, 1969 J. w. DUBOIS 3,444,678

YARN SEVERING MECHANISM Filed llarch 25. 1968 Sheet 3 of s n as II J 'I II\ ly v f I I I 1 3a 37 33 I2 34- I INVENTOR. J OSELPH \Al. DUBOIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,444,678 YARN SEVERIYG MECHANISM Joseph W. Dubois, North Smithfield, R.I., assignor, by mesne assignments, to John Donald Marshall and Horace L. Bomar as Trustee of the Carolina Patent Development Trust Filed Mar. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 715,749 Int. Cl. D01h 9/10; B65h 75/32 U.S. Cl. 57-53 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn severing mechanism for a doffing mechanism adapted to remove bobbins from a row of spindles carried on a spinning frame with means for guiding a length of yarn extending between a dotted bobbin and its respective spindle to a position where it is then guided into contact with a cutting element.

Backgrozmd of the disclosure The dofiing mechanism to which the present invention is applicable comprises a carriage having track guided rollers for mounting the same on machines such as spinning frames twisters, or the like which support a row of spindles that are utilized in a known manner during the processing of textile yarns. This carriage is adapted to be moved on such machines along a path parallel to the spindles and to raise and remove the bobbins carried thereon.

The means utilized for dofiing full bobbins includes a drive breaking cam and in close proximity therewith a flexible inclined lifting cam member for raising the bobbins to a position where they are guided into a receptacle adapted to receive the bobbins as they are dofied.

A filling or yarn package on a bobbin is wound to a predetermined size and as well known to those conversant in the art, the final wind of yarn is carried rapidly downwardly from the upper portion of the package forming somewhat of a helix wind about the package and as it leaves the bobbin the filling thread is wrapped about the base of the spindle where it is held in preparation for the next bobbin.

When a bobbin is dotted from a spindle, the length of yarn extending between the newly formed yarn package and the base of the spindle must be severed for obvious reasons. With the finer counts of yarn no problem exists with severing, for when the drive breaking cam moves beneath the butts of the bobbins to break the hold between the latter and the spindles, the upward movement of said bobbins breaks the lengths of yarn which lead to the final winds on the bases of said spindles.

With the heavier or coarser counts of yarn a very undesirable condition is often created by the aforementioned lengths of yarn failing to be severed during the initial raising of a bobbing to be dotted. With such a condition, the final wind of yarn leading to the spindle base remains intact and as the bobbin is cammed, upwardly and removed from its spindle, the yarn is withdrawn from the package on the bobbin. While this bobbin is being guided into the receptacle adapted to receive the bobbins, the carriage is being moved along the path parallel to the spindles and an excessive amount of yarn 3,444,678 Patented May 20, 1969 is withdrawn from the package of the dotted bobbin. Such a situation will leave an undesirable entanglement of yarn which must be removed before normal operation can continue.

The yarn severing mechanism according to the instant invention has corrected the undesirable condition described above by providing a positive means for parting the yarn which extends between a dotted bobbing and its respective spindle.

Summary of the invention With the dofiing mechanism to which the present invention is applicable, the hold between the bobbins and their respective spindles and the raising of said bobbins therefrom is accomplished in the conventional manner. Should the final wind of yarn on any given bobbin fail to be broken on the initial raising thereof, the yarn extending therefrom will, as said bobbin leaves its spindle, be guided to a position where it is received by a yarn positioner which then moves it into contact with a cutting element.

The guide chute which directs the bobbins into a receptacle after they leave their respective spindle is formed in two parts with the adjacently disposed edges of each forming guide surface for directing the yarn extending from a bobbin to a lower position where it is caused to make contact with one of the track guided rollers of the carriage. This particular roller forms a rotatable yarn positioner the peripheral edges of which are provided with yarn receiving notches and as the carriage is advanced any yarn in these notches is carried therewith and caused to make contact with a cutting element which severs said yarn.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a doffing mechanism showing the yarn severing apparatus according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is an end view partially in section showing a dotted bobbin with its yarn still intact and the position it is caused to assume relative to its respective spindle and the severing apparatus shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation and on a slightly enlarged scale of the yarn severing apparatus in FIG. 1 showing further detail thereof.

Description of the preferred embodiment The present invention is applicable to a dofling and donning machine such as that disclosed in United States Patent No. 3,077,725, and since this patent may be referred to for a more detailed description of such a machine, it is considered unnecessary at this point to insert herein the details of the general aspects of construction and operation of this unit.

Referring to the drawings wherein only as much of a dofling mechanism structure is depicted as is necessary for a complete understanding of the invention, there is shown in FIG. 1 a portion of a doffing and donning machine generally indicated by numeral 10. This machine 10 is adapted to be mounted on and moving along the rail 11 (FIG. 2) of a spinning frame by means of flanged rollers 12 and 13.

A portion of a spinning frame is shown in FIG. 2 and includes rail support brackets 14 (one only shown) to which a spindle rail 15 is suitable attached. The spindle rail extends for substantially the full longitudinal extent of the spinning frame and is adapted to support a row of spindles 16 thereon (one only shown in FIG. 2).

The usual ring rail 17 is disposed above the spindle rail and carries the spinning rings 18 through which the spindles 16 are adapted to extend.

The supporting framework of the dofiing and donning machine 10 is shown at 19 which includes an upper horizontally disposed plate 20. This plate 21} is adapted to support the doffing mechanism of the machine as well as the yarn severing mechanism comprising the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dofling mechanism includes a drive breaking cam 21 which is adapted to move beneath and to contact the butt portion of each bobbin 22 to break the hold between said bobbin and its respective spindle 16. Continued movement causes the bobbin to be elevated by a bobbin raising cam 23 with the intermediate portion of said bobbin being guided by a laterally extending arm 24 disposed above said raising cam.

As a bobbin leaves its respective spindle it is directed into a guide chute generally indicated by numeral 25 which leads to a receptacle (not shown) adapted to receive the bobbins as they are doffed.

As shown in FIG. 3 this guide chute consists of two separate plate-like guides 26 and 27 which are fixedly attached to a common support bracket 28 of L shaped configuration. The lower edge of this support bracket 28 is fixed to one side of a hinge 29 (FIG. 2) with the opposite side of said hinge is assembled to plate 20 by means of screws 30 (one only shown). By means of hinge 29 the guide chute can be pivoted from its solid line operating position shown in FIG. 2 to the phantom line inactive position also shown in this figure of drawing.

The guide chute 25 is retractable with the dofiing mechanism and provides a more compact unit, when not in use for storing and moving about from one location to another.

In FIG. 3 sides 31 and 32 of the plate-like guides 26 and 27, respectively, are shown angularly disposed and in close proximity one with the other and form guide surfaces for the yarn Y (FIG. 2) which is not parted during dofling of a bobbin from its respective spindle.

Should the yarn fail to break when a bobbin is cammed from its spindle, the yarn extending from said bobbin will, as the latter passes through the guide chute, be guided by the sides 31 and 32 downwardly to a position where it will extend through a recess 33 provided in the lower portion of the plate-like guide 27.

With a condition of this sort, the yarn Y extends from the bobbin, through recess 33 and thence across the outer peripherial surface of the flanged roller 12 to the spindle 16 about which it is wrapped. The guide flanges or outer peripherial surfaces of the roller 12 are provided with a plurality of yarn receiving notches 34 which are equally disposed about the circumferential extent of said roller. This portion of the roller 12 defines a rotatable yarn positioner, for as the mechanism is advanced along the rail of the spinning frame the nochtes 34 carry any yarn received thereby to a position to make contact with a cutting element generally indicated by numeral 35.

This cutting element is attached to an L shaped support bracket 36 (FIG. 2) by means of screws 37 and 38 and said bracket is assembled to plate 20 by means of screws 39 (only one shown).

The cutting element itself comprises a pair of mating plate members 40 and 41 (FIG. 2) which are assembled together by means of a pair of screws 42 and 43 (FIGS. 1 and 3). One side of the upper portion of the cutting element is provided with a recess 44 (FIGS. 1 and 3) having a replaceable yarn cutting blade 45 forming the lower edge thereof. The cutting blade is clamped between the plate members and 41 and its proper position is maintained by causing it to seat again pin members 46.

. 4 These pin members are fixed in and extend from the inner side of plate member 40 and when the latter is assembled to plate member 41 said pins are caused to enter aligned apertures (not shown) provided in said plate member 41.

The upper edge of the recess 44 defines a guide finger 47 and serves to prevent the yarn advanced by the notches 34 from moving beyond the limits of the cutting blade 45. The recess 44 of the cutting element 35 is adapted to be positioned in close proximity with that surfaces of the roller 12 intermediate the flanged side thereof. This adjustment is accomplished by a slot 48 (FIGS. 1 and 3) provided in the support bracket 36 through which the shank portion of screws 37 and 38 are adapted to extend. By simply loosening these screws the cutting element may be moved within the limits of slot 48 and when the desired setting is found the screws are tightened.

In operation, the dofling mechanism is moved along the rail of a spinning frame and the bobbins are cammed from their respective spindles and guided into a receptacle in a manner well known to those conversant in'the art.

Should the final wind of yarn on any given bobbin fail to be broken as it is cammed upwardly from its respective spindle, said yarn will, as the bobbin enters the guide chute, be directed to a recess 33 disposed in the lower portion of the latter. From the recess 33 the yarn extends across the outer peripheral surfaces of the roller 12 and thence to a spindle about which it is wrapped. As the dofiing mechanism is advanced along the rail of the spinning frame, the yarn in contact with the roller 12 will enter a pair of notches 34 and be carried into contact with the cutting blade 45. When the filling yarn contacts the cutting blade, it is severed and the amount of time required to cut the yarn relative to the distance the dofing mechanism will travel does not permit an excessive or undesirable amount of yarn to be withdrawn from the bobbin package.

I claim:

1. A yarn severing device for a dofling mechanism adapted to remove bobbins from a row of spindles sup ported on a spinning frame which includes a carriage with means for mounting the latter on said spinning frame to move along a path parallel to said spindles, a bobbin raising cam movable with said carriage to raise said bobbins on said spindles to a doff position, and a guide chute member for receiving the bobbins as they are removed from their respective spindles, said yarn severing device including a cutting element fixed to and movable with said carriage, guide means forming a part of said chute for positioning the yarns extending between dofled bobbins and their respective spindles, and a rotatable yarn positioner for receiving and advancing yarn extending from doifed bobbins to a position to be severed by said cutting element.

2. The yarn severing device according to claim 1 wherein said means for mounting said carriage on said spinning frame includes a pair of guided rollers disposed in spaced relation with the outer periphery of one defining said rotatable yarn positioner.

3. The yarn severing device according to claim 2 wherein the guided roller defining said rotatable yarn positioner includes flanged sides formed in opposed relation having a plurality of aligned yarn receiving notches equally disposed about the peripherial extent thereof.

4. The yarn severing device according to claim 3 wherein the surface of said rotatable yarn positioner intermediate the flanged sides is of lesser diameter and said cutting element is disposed in close proximity therewith for positive contact with the yarn when advanced by said notches.

5. The yarn severing device according to claim 4 wherein said cutting element includes a removable blade member assembled therein.

6. The yarn severing device according to claim 5 wherein said cutting element includes an integrally formed guide finger for preventing the yarn advanced by said notches from moving beyond the limits of said blade member.

7. The yarn severing device according to claim 4 wherein said cutting element is longitudinally adjustable toward an daWay from said rotatable yarn positioner.

8. The yarn severing device according to claim 3 wherein said guide chute member comprises a pair of cooperating chute elements having ends disposed in close proximity one with the other and at an angle to the horizontal forming yarn guiding surfaces for directing of the yarn extending from a dotted bobbin to a position to be received into said notches.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

